A ministry is a specialized organization responsible for a sector of governmentpublic administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or administrative organisations.

In the 20th century, Western countries (including monarchies such as Belgium and the United Kingdom) have trended away from the usage of the designation "ministry", preferring to replace such with words such as department, agency, bureau or secretariat.

In Canada, five of the ten provincial governments use the term "ministry" to describe their departments (namely Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Alberta) but the other five, as well as the federal government, use the terms "department" or "agency". Despite the difference in nomenclature, both the provincial and federal governments use the term "minister" to describe the head of a ministry or department. The specific tasks assigned to a minister is referred to as his or her "portfolio".

In India the government departments take the practical actions which are debated by MLAs in the legislative assembly and by the MPs in the parliament. Some of the common government departments are the health department education department etc.

New Zealand's state agencies include a large number of ministries and a smaller number of departments. Increasingly, state sector agencies are styled neither as ministries nor as departments. All New Zealand agencies are under the direction of one or more ministers or associate ministers, whether they are styled "ministries" or not, though each body also has an apolitical chief executive. In ministries and departments, these chief executives often have the title of Secretary.

Ministry of Administrative Affairs, from Yes Minister, responsible for the administration of other government departments and the British Civil Service; this ministry held a number of other responsibilities that were part of plot lines throughout the series, including National Health Service administration, local government, organising state visits by foreign leaders, enforcing European regulations, the Arts and telecommunications.

Department of Social Affairs (later Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship) from The Thick of It, the government department responsible for overseeing the activities of other government departments as well as other responsibilities which tied-in with plot lines, similar to the Department of Administrative Affairs in Yes Minister.